J.R.R.Tolkien is one of the most popular fictional authors out there. Although he might not know it since he has long been dead, it seems that his genius isn't. I have heard about his books after watching The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy. I know, I know, I should have read them earlier than that but I just didn't have the time to do so. Now, that The Hobbit is out, I find myself drawn to the books once more although this time I am determined to read at least one or two. This is why I don't think I will be able to give the movie enough justice by writing a detailed review of it since I am not a hardcore fan which means I can't really compare the movie from the book. Forgive me for that but I will try to the best that I can. Hopefully, I won't mess up this time as I don't want many fans to get angry at me.
Anyway, as you all know, the story of "The Hobbit" is about the journey of a young hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. If you were able to see the first Lord Of The Rings, he was Frodo (Elijah Wood)'s
uncle who initially had the ring which was passed down to Frodo in a quest to destroy it. In the movie, Bilbo was reluctant to leave his home, The Shire, as he believes that he is quite happy there. That was until he met Gandalf The Grey who somehow picked him as his companion for his next adventure. Unknown to Bilbo, Gandalf already had a quest in store for him and 13 dwarves of Erebor. Despite refusing his offer, he found himself stuck in middle of a rowdy group of dwarves as they ate everything he had. He didn't like company and wasn't pleased with what Gandalf had done.
The dwarves' quest was to recover their lost kingdom, Erebor, which was found in the Lonely Mountain. During this time, the history of Erebor was shown. The dwarves recalled it while Bilbo tried to imagine it. From a once thriving kingdom, Erebor succumbed to a darkness that engulfed the land. The arrival of one of the last dragons of Middle Earth, Smaug, was unexpected. Due to the greed of the once proud King of Erebor who was Thorin Oakenshield's grandfather, the heir to the throne and the leader of the dwarf party. In their quest to Erebor, they needed members. Aside from the already fierce dwarves, the party included Gandalf as their wizard and supposedly, Bilbo as their burglar. Since he was smaller than the dwarves, he was considered to be one since he could sneak into places without being seen. Bilbo was unsure of himself. He hesitated at first but after thinking things through, he left his home and set on an adventure to the world outside The Shire.
Outside, the peace loving Baggins found himself in a world where he seemed like he did not belong but Gandalf convinced him that he did, somehow, someway. Their journey to the wild took them to treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, as well as deadly Wargs, Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. In this movie, we also get to know one more of the 5 wizards of Middle Earth. His name is Radagast The Brown. He is the wizard of the wood. As their party try to get away from the orcs sent by Thorin's nemesis, The Pale Orc, Radagast stalls them but in the end, Gandalf led them to the path to Rivendell.Because of what happened between the dwarves and the elves back in the day in Erebor, the dwarves now resented the elves, without even giving them the benefit of the doubt especially since not all of them belong to the same kingdom after all. The dwarves of Erebor bore a grudge over the Mirkwood elves under the rule of their Elven King, King Thranduil, who is actually Legolas' father. Luckily, Prince Legolas and Gimli became friends in the LOTR Trilogy which somehow made the alliance between the two races more solid especially since both of them had a common friend in the form of Aragorn.
The Elves of Rivendell headed by Lord Elrond, Arwen's father, received them but was concerned about their sudden arrival and their purpose there. As always, Gandalf knows his way around the elves. Unfortunately, after Elrond translated the map that needed to be translated, Elrond wanted to know the real reason behind their quest for Erebor. He knew of the dangers especially involving the dragon, Smaug, alarmed, he told Gandalf that he needed to talk to two other people about it. One is Saruman who is the leader of the order of wizards and lastly, Lady Galadriel, the queen of Lothlorien. During the council meeting, it seemed like Galadriel and Gandalf had a connection which made me think if they were involved romantically but I knew there were complication as she was the wife of Celeborn. Luckily through further research, I found out that since Gandalf has lived long in Middle Earth and in another world named Valinor before that, he and Galadriel might have been acquainted which is why they showed such familiarity towards one another. Honestly, I don't think there is something going on between them and aren't elves supposed to be that way? While in the council meeting, the dwarves flee to continue their quest leaving Gandalf behind. They knew he would catch up eventually.
Probably one of my most favorite scenes came next. As they hiked through the rocky and misty mountains, they found themselves stuck in a storm. Unfortunately for them, the mountain that they walked on were actually Stone Giants who all fought to each other leaving the party to be divided into two. As I held my breath to see who lived or died, I realized that all of them survived but barely. They went inside a cave which they sought out to be their temporary dwelling. As Bilbo was about to escape them, they find themselves falling to the goblin tunnels and being carried away by the creatures who dwelled there. Bilbo was wise enough to not be taken away but was not lucky enough to escape as one goblin lunged for him. Deep in the dark and murky Goblin Kingdom lies a creature who was once a hobbit but became a cursed and hideous fiend. His name was once Smeagol but now, it was Gollum. Corrupted by the ring, he became obsessed with it. If you have seen the LOTR trilogy then you know who I am talking about.
Seeing him in action with his expressions and dialogues made me cringe once more. Truthfully, Andy Serkis does a great job playing him. It is just that the character itself is too creepy for me.Bilbo encounters this fiend accidentally as he falls down a pit while trying to fight a goblin. Luckily, he was given an elven blade to fend himself off.Unlike Frodo from the early LOTR trilogy, despite his lack in formal training, Bilbo was able to use his somehow. One of the most interesting yet creepy moments was Bilbo's game of riddles in the dark with Smeagol. I honestly, don't want to be in that predicament. He found himself trying to flee the creature as he accidentally stole its' ring. Gandalf saves the day as he storms through the goblin tunnels freeing the dwarves. Their escape from the tunnel was amusing to watch especially after seeing Gandalf multi-classing once again. Yep, a wizard with a staff and a sword. How convenient! AS their battle ensued, so did Bilbo's. He escaped Gollum only to accidentally wear the ring and know of its' power. They get out of the tunnels alive but the ring that was in Bilbo's possession doesn't go unnoticed by Gandalf although doesn't mention anything about it.
After their escape from danger, they found themselves facing another once more. For the pale orc, Azog, has found them. Thorin knew he had to face him but somehow he was no match for him. Bilbo who knew he had to do something saved him despite his small size. The rest of the dwarves join the battle and in the end won. To wrap it up, the movie was filled with a lot of adventure, a lot of talking but at the same time less walking. Although I have to admit that the dwarves were unrecognizable except for some key characters, the movie still wasn't that bad. I was disappointed to not see too much of Smaug but I guess Peter Jackson intends on showing more of him in the second movie. Seeing Gandalf, Saruman, Galadriel and Elrond reprise their roles was a delight to see. Unfortunately, I didn't even notice Frodo much. Gollum did well as usual but creepy nonetheless. Thorin was a convincing king and it would be nice to see the Hobbit, Bilbo, become more involved in the rest of the films.
The movie nearly had a three hour running time which I honestly did not notice much as I was enjoying myself. Immersed in a world of fantasy, I yearned for more. As the first movie ended, I found myself imagining a world of possibilities for the next one. Although the world would have to wait for December 2013 to actually see the next movie, I am hoping that I will be able to follow this trilogy once again. Looking forward to see Legolas and more of the Mirkwood elves in the second and last installment of the films. I am hoping that the other two wizards will be introduced as well since Radagast was already brought to the fore. I am still uncertain as to what the next movies will be like but I am keeping my fingers crossed for the best.
Although most of the sceneries that were used were common especially after seeing the LOTR trilogy, somehow, I still find myself wanting to go there. Rivendell might not look as fascinating as it was a decade ago but still the elves never fail to take my breath away. Over all, the movie had its good moments which I think deserves praise. Kudos to all the people who made the movie possible.
Definitely another Peter Jackson masterpiece.
REMINDER: IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET, PLEASE DON'T READ THE NEXT PARTS AS IT MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS AND I DON'T WANT TO RUIN YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE. THANK YOU! BUT IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND READ WHAT I HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU, SO BE IT. HAPPY READING!
Anyway, as you all know, the story of "The Hobbit" is about the journey of a young hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. If you were able to see the first Lord Of The Rings, he was Frodo (Elijah Wood)'s
uncle who initially had the ring which was passed down to Frodo in a quest to destroy it. In the movie, Bilbo was reluctant to leave his home, The Shire, as he believes that he is quite happy there. That was until he met Gandalf The Grey who somehow picked him as his companion for his next adventure. Unknown to Bilbo, Gandalf already had a quest in store for him and 13 dwarves of Erebor. Despite refusing his offer, he found himself stuck in middle of a rowdy group of dwarves as they ate everything he had. He didn't like company and wasn't pleased with what Gandalf had done.
The dwarves' quest was to recover their lost kingdom, Erebor, which was found in the Lonely Mountain. During this time, the history of Erebor was shown. The dwarves recalled it while Bilbo tried to imagine it. From a once thriving kingdom, Erebor succumbed to a darkness that engulfed the land. The arrival of one of the last dragons of Middle Earth, Smaug, was unexpected. Due to the greed of the once proud King of Erebor who was Thorin Oakenshield's grandfather, the heir to the throne and the leader of the dwarf party. In their quest to Erebor, they needed members. Aside from the already fierce dwarves, the party included Gandalf as their wizard and supposedly, Bilbo as their burglar. Since he was smaller than the dwarves, he was considered to be one since he could sneak into places without being seen. Bilbo was unsure of himself. He hesitated at first but after thinking things through, he left his home and set on an adventure to the world outside The Shire.
Outside, the peace loving Baggins found himself in a world where he seemed like he did not belong but Gandalf convinced him that he did, somehow, someway. Their journey to the wild took them to treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, as well as deadly Wargs, Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. In this movie, we also get to know one more of the 5 wizards of Middle Earth. His name is Radagast The Brown. He is the wizard of the wood. As their party try to get away from the orcs sent by Thorin's nemesis, The Pale Orc, Radagast stalls them but in the end, Gandalf led them to the path to Rivendell.Because of what happened between the dwarves and the elves back in the day in Erebor, the dwarves now resented the elves, without even giving them the benefit of the doubt especially since not all of them belong to the same kingdom after all. The dwarves of Erebor bore a grudge over the Mirkwood elves under the rule of their Elven King, King Thranduil, who is actually Legolas' father. Luckily, Prince Legolas and Gimli became friends in the LOTR Trilogy which somehow made the alliance between the two races more solid especially since both of them had a common friend in the form of Aragorn.
The Elves of Rivendell headed by Lord Elrond, Arwen's father, received them but was concerned about their sudden arrival and their purpose there. As always, Gandalf knows his way around the elves. Unfortunately, after Elrond translated the map that needed to be translated, Elrond wanted to know the real reason behind their quest for Erebor. He knew of the dangers especially involving the dragon, Smaug, alarmed, he told Gandalf that he needed to talk to two other people about it. One is Saruman who is the leader of the order of wizards and lastly, Lady Galadriel, the queen of Lothlorien. During the council meeting, it seemed like Galadriel and Gandalf had a connection which made me think if they were involved romantically but I knew there were complication as she was the wife of Celeborn. Luckily through further research, I found out that since Gandalf has lived long in Middle Earth and in another world named Valinor before that, he and Galadriel might have been acquainted which is why they showed such familiarity towards one another. Honestly, I don't think there is something going on between them and aren't elves supposed to be that way? While in the council meeting, the dwarves flee to continue their quest leaving Gandalf behind. They knew he would catch up eventually.
Probably one of my most favorite scenes came next. As they hiked through the rocky and misty mountains, they found themselves stuck in a storm. Unfortunately for them, the mountain that they walked on were actually Stone Giants who all fought to each other leaving the party to be divided into two. As I held my breath to see who lived or died, I realized that all of them survived but barely. They went inside a cave which they sought out to be their temporary dwelling. As Bilbo was about to escape them, they find themselves falling to the goblin tunnels and being carried away by the creatures who dwelled there. Bilbo was wise enough to not be taken away but was not lucky enough to escape as one goblin lunged for him. Deep in the dark and murky Goblin Kingdom lies a creature who was once a hobbit but became a cursed and hideous fiend. His name was once Smeagol but now, it was Gollum. Corrupted by the ring, he became obsessed with it. If you have seen the LOTR trilogy then you know who I am talking about.
Seeing him in action with his expressions and dialogues made me cringe once more. Truthfully, Andy Serkis does a great job playing him. It is just that the character itself is too creepy for me.Bilbo encounters this fiend accidentally as he falls down a pit while trying to fight a goblin. Luckily, he was given an elven blade to fend himself off.Unlike Frodo from the early LOTR trilogy, despite his lack in formal training, Bilbo was able to use his somehow. One of the most interesting yet creepy moments was Bilbo's game of riddles in the dark with Smeagol. I honestly, don't want to be in that predicament. He found himself trying to flee the creature as he accidentally stole its' ring. Gandalf saves the day as he storms through the goblin tunnels freeing the dwarves. Their escape from the tunnel was amusing to watch especially after seeing Gandalf multi-classing once again. Yep, a wizard with a staff and a sword. How convenient! AS their battle ensued, so did Bilbo's. He escaped Gollum only to accidentally wear the ring and know of its' power. They get out of the tunnels alive but the ring that was in Bilbo's possession doesn't go unnoticed by Gandalf although doesn't mention anything about it.
After their escape from danger, they found themselves facing another once more. For the pale orc, Azog, has found them. Thorin knew he had to face him but somehow he was no match for him. Bilbo who knew he had to do something saved him despite his small size. The rest of the dwarves join the battle and in the end won. To wrap it up, the movie was filled with a lot of adventure, a lot of talking but at the same time less walking. Although I have to admit that the dwarves were unrecognizable except for some key characters, the movie still wasn't that bad. I was disappointed to not see too much of Smaug but I guess Peter Jackson intends on showing more of him in the second movie. Seeing Gandalf, Saruman, Galadriel and Elrond reprise their roles was a delight to see. Unfortunately, I didn't even notice Frodo much. Gollum did well as usual but creepy nonetheless. Thorin was a convincing king and it would be nice to see the Hobbit, Bilbo, become more involved in the rest of the films.
The movie nearly had a three hour running time which I honestly did not notice much as I was enjoying myself. Immersed in a world of fantasy, I yearned for more. As the first movie ended, I found myself imagining a world of possibilities for the next one. Although the world would have to wait for December 2013 to actually see the next movie, I am hoping that I will be able to follow this trilogy once again. Looking forward to see Legolas and more of the Mirkwood elves in the second and last installment of the films. I am hoping that the other two wizards will be introduced as well since Radagast was already brought to the fore. I am still uncertain as to what the next movies will be like but I am keeping my fingers crossed for the best.
Although most of the sceneries that were used were common especially after seeing the LOTR trilogy, somehow, I still find myself wanting to go there. Rivendell might not look as fascinating as it was a decade ago but still the elves never fail to take my breath away. Over all, the movie had its good moments which I think deserves praise. Kudos to all the people who made the movie possible.
Definitely another Peter Jackson masterpiece.
Since the dwarves were somewhat unrecognizable, here's a guide for you. In the middle is their King, King Thorin Oakenshield. Just check out the names of the rest.
Here is a still from the film where Gandalf The Grey speaks with Radagast The Brown. If you thought Gandalf was strange then check out this guy.
Ah, the elves of the lore. Why do they always have to so perfect? I swear I would probably have to shield my eyes in the next movies especially if Thranduil and Legolas will be sharing screen time.
The controversial scene between Galadriel and Gandalf. Are they romantically involved? I don't believe so. Remember Galadriel is married to Celeborn. By the way, Gandalf isn't really an old man. The same goes for the other wizards of Middle Earth. They only have that visage so that men would trust them. They age slowly and like elves, they are supposed to look young but then again, they needed to trade off their gorgeous, young looks to become more trustworthy and to appear wiser. As with age comes more wisdom. Looks can be deceiving it seems. Go figure!
Lastly, the very much expected Riddles In The Dark. The showdown between Gollum and Bilbo Baggins. I still can't forget how Gollum looked like as he asked Bilbo: "What has it gots in its' pockets?" Sheesh! He's one scary fellow indeed.
